States in crisis

Facing major budget problems, governors around the nation are proposing cuts to education, health care and state employee benefits.

Budget shortfalls

Pension liabilities

Proposed cuts

Party in power

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Shortfall as a percent of budget

Total shortfall

More than 40 states are projecting billions of dollars in budget shortfalls for fiscal 2012. But, unlike the federal government, most states have some sort of balanced-budget law. That means the shortfall -- the gap between state revenues (taxes, fees, etc.) and the cost of running the government -- must be closed before a state adopts its final budget for the year.

State

Shortfall as pct. of budget

Total shortfall (in millions)

Arizona

11

11%

974

$974

California

29

29%

25400

$25,400

Illinois

45

45%

15000

$15,000

Texas

31

31%

13400

$13,400

New Jersey

37

37%

10472

$10,472

New York

17

17%

9026

$9,026

Pennsylvania

18

18%

4500

$4,500

Minnesota

25

25%

3900

$3,900

North Carolina

20

20%

3800

$3,800

Connecticut

21

21%

3673

$3,673

Florida

15

15%

3600

$3,600

Ohio

11

11%

3000

$3,000

Washington

18

18%

2850

$2,850

Michigan

9

9%

1848

$1,848

Wisconsin

13

13%

1810

$1,810

Massachusetts

6

6%

1780

$1,780

Oregon

25

25%

1750

$1,750

Georgia

10

10%

1700

$1,700

Louisiana

22

22%

1700

$1,700

Maryland

12

12%

1600

$1,600

Nevada

45

45%

1522.5

$1,523

Missouri

14

14%

1114.5

$1,115

Colorado

14

14%

988

$988

South Carolina

17

17%

877

$877

Mississippi

14

14%

634

$634

Oklahoma

11

11%

600

$600

Kansas

9

9%

492.4

$492

Utah

9

9%

437

$437

Maine

16

16%

436.4

$436

Hawaii

8

8%

410

$410

New Mexico

8

8%

410

$410

Nebraska

9

9%

313.6

$314

Idaho

13

13%

300

$300

Iowa

6

6%

294

$294

Rhode Island

10

10%

290

$290

Indiana

2

2%

269.7

$270

Delaware

6

6%

207.7

$208

West Virginia

4

4%

155

$155

Vermont

14

14%

150

$150

South Dakota

11

11%

127

$127

Montana

4

4%

80

$80

Arkansas

0

0%

0

$0

Alaska

0

0%

0

$0

North Dakota

0

0%

0

$0

NOTE: The District of Columbia, New Hampshire and Tennessee have shortfalls but the amounts are unknown. Kentucky and Virginia have two-year budgets, and closed their fiscal 2012 shortfalls when they enacted their 2011-2012 budgets.

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Current calculations

What some economists calculate

The question over pension funding revolves around the appropriate discount rate to use when valuing the worth of future pension payments. Most government pension plans use a discount rate of about eight percent. But many economists believe that rate understates the liability, and say it would be better to use the so-called risk-free rate on Treasury bonds of about five percent.

State

Current calculation (in billions)

Calcuated with ''risk-free'' rate

Alabama

10883124

$11

38172760

$38

Alaska

5941826

$6

13996430

$14

Arizona

9528897

$10

36618055

$37

Arkansas

4927000

$5

17572529

$18

California

89600000

$90

376922028

$377

Colorado

16870579

$17

52729878

$53

Connecticut

15783126

$16

43252196

$43

D.C.

0

$0

3463738

$3

Delaware

82956

$0

4350596

$4

Florida

17600000

$18

94448127

$94

Georgia

3088115

$3

52351115

$52

Hawaii

6236300

$6

17810388

$18

Idaho

3086000

$3

10422871

$10

Illinois

65924088

$66

162075227

$162

Indiana

12069750

$12

34381086

$34

Iowa

4894614

$5

18955552

$19

Kansas

7676985

$8

21393098

$21

Kentucky

17639371

$18

41269985

$41

Louisiana

14825830

$15

37179512

$37

Maine

3943141

$4

11937618

$12

Maryland

16417701

$16

49795004

$50

Massachusetts

18319863

$18

59745386

$60

Michigan

17200341

$17

62694959

$63

Minnesota

12355679

$12

50178140

$50

Mississippi

9996965

$10

28432242

$28

Missouri

11991644

$12

46307544

$46

Montana

2202207

$2

7516221

$8

Nebraska

1084758

$1

6605060

$7

Nevada

9103282

$9

32396222

$32

New Hampshire

3537732

$4

9506263

$10

New Jersey

44812900

$45

124906580

$125

New Mexico

6871293

$7

24012029

$24

New York

0

$0

162589278

$163

North Carolina

2441711

$2

53267863

$53

North Dakota

829653

$1

3646775

$4

Ohio

63998745

$64

177126486

$177

Oklahoma

12595113

$13

28994480

$29

Oregon

8919200

$9

39797062

$40

Pennsylvania

21331485

$21

86556499

$87

Rhode Island

4887481

$5

12000315

$12

South Carolina

13049144

$13

31264252

$31

South Dakota

608886

$1

4855578

$5

Tennessee

3559088

$4

27259225

$27

Texas

31474699

$31

141869407

$142

Utah

2807186

$3

16447169

$16

Vermont

1054265

$1

3905492

$4

Virginia

13138000

$13

54933134

$55

Washington

5762300

$6

49516736

$50

West Virginia

6734986

$7

13360552

$13

Wisconsin

193300

$0

47619100

$48

Wyoming

823134

$1

5140065

$5

NOTE: States not shown that did not have data available.

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Health care

Public employees

K-12 education

Higher education

New tax revenue

State

Health care

Public employees

K-12 education

Higher education

New tax revenue

Arizona

x

x

California

x

x

x

Colorado

x

x

x

x

Georgia

x

x

x

x

Hawaii

x

x

Idaho

x

x

Illinois

x

Kansas

x

x

Maine

x

Massachusetts

x

x

Mississippi

x

x

Nebraska

x

x

x

Nevada

x

x

x

x

New Jersey

x

x

New York

x

x

x

Oklahoma

x

South Dakota

x

x

Texas

x

x

x

x

Washington

x

x

x

Wisconsin

x

x

Connecticut

x

x

x

Florida

x

x

Iowa

x

x

Michigan

x

x

Minnesota

x

x

x

Missouri

x

x

Montana

x

New Hampshire

x

x

New Mexico

x

x

x

x

North Carolina

x

x

x

Oregon

x

x

South Carolina

x

Click to change map:

State legislatures

Governors

Both on one map

State

State Legislature

Governorship

Alabama

Republican

Republican

Alaska

Chambers split

Republican

Arizona

Republican

Republican

Arkansas

Democrat

Democrat

California

Democrat

Democrat

Colorado

Chambers split

Democrat

Connecticut

Democrat

Democrat

Delaware

Democrat

Democrat

Florida

Republican

Republican

Georgia

Republican

Republican

Hawaii

Democrat

Democrat

Idaho

Republican

Republican

Illinois

Democrat

Democrat

Indiana

Republican

Republican

Iowa

Chambers split

Republican

Kansas

Republican

Republican

Kentucky

Chambers split

Democrat

Louisiana

Republican

Republican

Maine

Republican

Republican

Maryland

Democrat

Democrat

Massachusetts

Democrat

Democrat

Michigan

Republican

Republican

Minnesota

Republican

Democrat

Mississippi

Democrat

Republican

Missouri

Republican

Democrat

Montana

Republican

Democrat

Nebraska

Chamber is non-partisan

Republican

Nevada

Democrat

Republican

New Hampshire

Republican

Democrat

New Jersey

Democrat

Republican

New Mexico

Democrat

Republican

New York

Chambers split

Democrat

North Carolina

Republican

Democrat

North Dakota

Republican

Republican

Ohio

Republican

Republican

Oklahoma

Republican

Republican

Oregon

Chambers split

Democrat

Pennsylvania

Republican

Republican

Rhode Island

Democrat

Independent

South Carolina

Republican

Republican

South Dakota

Republican

Republican

Tennessee

Republican

Republican

Texas

Republican

Republican

Utah

Republican

Republican

Vermont

Democrat

Democrat

Virginia

Chambers split

Republican

Washington

Democrat

Democrat

West Virginia

Democrat

Democrat

Wisconsin

Republican

Republican

Wyoming

Republican

Republican

SOURCES: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, National Conference of State Legislatures.